Dodge is coming out with cylinder deactivation (basically running the truck on 4 cylinders to save fuel when extra power is not needed). I would love to see Ford come out with a retrofit on our trucks that allowed us to have cylinder deactivation. Anyone heard any plans? Ford are you listening?

 

They have it on their other cars currently, i paid for 8 cyl so i would expect them to run all the time. But it only comes on after so many miles of continous driving. Ford is ahead of the pack with their "gearless" tranny, just think that its a big rubberband and the two pulleys on each side get bigger and smaller depending on speed and acceleration.

 

You paid for all 8 but why do you want to waste gas on them when you're just cruising in traffic?

I think it's a pretty cool system and would like to see Ford start dropping it on their V8s. I'd love to have the V8 power when I need it and for towing but be able to drop down to a 4 cylinder for when I have to cruise on the interstate.

Wait, Ford already has this but you have to let your truck overheat first

 

I think it adds unnecessary complication to the mix. Sorry, guess I still have bad memories about Cadillac's 8-6-4 idea.

 

im with asinatra on this one, with the CVT transmission as well. several cars have been using them for a while, only recently has ford started putting them into production. the 500 is the only car that comes to mind.

 

The 500's sister, the Montego has the CVT available as an option on front drivers and it's standard on AWD models. The Freestyle is the same, and the Escape Hybrid is available only with the CVT. The CVT itself is a cool transmission, a lot of other manufacturers canned their CVT projects because of durability problems. The belts would stretch and slip. Ford went above that by using chains instead of belts.

 

Thats interesting info. I havent done alot of studying since I bought my truck. So this may be the reason why when its put in reverse, it doesnt actually kick in until you start rolling forward a few inches right?
I was worried about this since I thought I was mashing gears everytime I placed it in reverse.

 

how is a f-150 gonna cruse on four cylinders...and than have four kick in when needed..I'm used to the trottle lag on my truck, to wait for 4 cylinders to kick in + throtle lag would not be practical for towing/hauling.

Dodge is a head of the game is some area's with the new Charger/Challenger/Mandum/300 C all ford has is the puffed out Taruis ( Ford 500 )

cylinder deactivation can work on cars....I don't think is practical for trucks.

 

With 4 cylinders deactivated, Dodge claims only one (1) MPG gain on the highway, slightly better in the city...big deal!

 

The "gearless tranny" he was talking about is the CVT trans. (Constantly Variable Transmission) It's basically the same thing that's been in snowmobiles for years...the more throttle, the faster you go. CVT's are good because when you hit the gas from a stop, the engine can go right to the power peak, rather than have to rev up to it. CVT's are bad because they have yet to design one that can hold up to big power and abuse...i.e. trucks. They have had them in cars and small SUV's for a while...Audi's design was supposed to be the most durable, from what I heard. A lot of people don't like them because there is no "gears", it just feels like the engine is freewheeling. Weird.

As far as the freewheeling in the F150's, it scared me when I first pulled out of the dealership (up an incline) on the test drive. The truck rolled backward when I went from brake to gas...never had an auto do that before. Test drove two more F150's, all did it...I'm used to it now, but it's weird for anyone not used to it.

 

It's not like it kills those cylinders comletely. It is an alternating firing pattern so it's not like 4 cylinders just sit there and then have to be started up like starting an engine.

It can be programmed into the computer that under light accel and cruising it will run on alternating 4 cylinders. Under moderate to heavy accel all cylinders will fire and when O/D is off, it will also keep it from going into 4 cylinder mode.

It's a litlte computer program that even if it only added 1mpg I'd take it. The trucks already have the basis of the programs built in for when the engine overheats.

 

at 20mpg on the interstate... that's a little more than one gallon of gas saved per tank. If it's more in the city, then even better... With gas in some places approaching $4 a gallon, it's a nice savings.

 

I'd like mine to cut back to one cylinder while driving...I had an 1975 Plymouth Valiant that used to do that.